Speed-changing mechanism



w. I. WHEELER. SPEED CHANGING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 511918.

Patented June 7, 1921.,

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

z m m m 3 WlLLiHM [.WHEELER W. I. WHEELER. SPEED CHANGING MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED JULY 6, I918.

Patented June 7, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.'

WlLLlFH"! 1 WHEEL R an r.

WILLIAM I. WHEELER, OF SCOTTVILLE, ILLINOIS.

SPEED-CHANGING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 7, rear.

Application filed July 6, 1918. Serial No. 243,526.

and useful Improvements in Speed-Changing Mechanism, of which the following is' a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings. K

This invention relates to speed changlng mechanism and more partlcularly to certain improvements in the mechanism shown vehicle ran ement of the several and described in Patent No. 1,245,412, issued to me November 6, 1917, which is primarily characterized by the automatic variations in the speed of the driven shaft at any point between the highest and lowest driving speeds, in accordance with the load borne by the engine.

It is the principal purpose and object of the present improvements to simplify the construction of the original mechanism in many material respects and to also provide a more positive and reliable operating means for the variable speed control mechanism. r

The invention also has for another object to provide a compact arrangement of the several parts of the mechanism whereby it may be operatively mounted in the frame within a relatively small space.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the improved features of construction,

g parts to be hereinafter fully described, subsequently claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views and wherein;

Figure 1 is a plan view showing my improved speed changing mechanism mounted upon the chassis of a motor vehicle; n

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional vlew; Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; I

Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2; I

Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig.2;

Fig. 6 is a section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2.

Referring in detail to the drawing, 5 designates the chassis or frame of a motor vehicle, 6 the engine shaft, and 7 the fly combination and ar- 'machine, as clearly seen in Fig.

wheel fixed thereto. The driving shaft 8 1s ournaled in a suitable bearing 9 on the frame of the machine and a clutch 10 of any conventional form is mounted upon one end of said shaft to engage with the clutch face of the fly wheel 7.

The shaft 8 is loosely mounted in a central bearing 12 on one end wall of the casmg 11. Theend wall 13 is bolted or otherwise securely fixed to a flange on the body wall of the casing and is formed on its perimeter with a laterally projecting annular flange 14, said flange bein toothed as indicated at 15. U%)on the face of an opposed plate 18 which is loosely mounted on the shaft 8, pairs of pinions 16 are rotatably mounted at diametrically opposite sides of the driving shaft and have meshing engagement with each other. One pinion in each pair engages the gear teeth 15 and the other pinion in each pair is in mesh with a gear 17 keyed or otherwise fixed upon the driving shaft 8. The plate 18 is formed with a laterally projecting annular flange 19 with which an internal sectional brake or clutch band 20 is adapted to frictionally engage. Between the opposed ends of the clutch band sections, the clutch dogs 21 are arranged, one end of each clutch band section being thickened or enlarged as clearly shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings. The outer side of the housing or chamber formed by the annular flange 19 is closed by means of a plate 22. A cylindrical member 23 is arranged between the plates 18 and 22 and loosely engaged on the shaft 8, said member having a reduced hub or leg portion 24 extending through an opening in the plate 22. This hub on its outer end is formed with a flange 25. The member 23 is provided in its periphery at diametrically opposite points with recesses 26 to receive the inner end of the respective clutch dogs 21. One end of a spiral leaf spring 27 is secured to the reduced hub'24 of the member 23, the other end of said spring being securely fixed to, the frame 5 of the 1 of the drawing. By the provision of this clutch, any reverse rotation of the shaft 8 upon the backfiring of the engine is efiectually prevented, and at the same time shocks or jars will be absorbed through the medium of the spring 27. and not transmitted to the body of the vehicle through the frame or internally will be readily understood from reference to Fig. 4. In the rotation of the part 18, in the direction indicated by the arrow, the clutch band sections 20 are inactive, but any tendency of this part to rotate in an opposite direction causes the clutch dogs 21 to rock in the recess 26 of the part 23. The outer ends of these dogs acting between the ends of these clutch band sections, expand the latter against the inner face of the flange 19. i

The construction above described, is substantially the same as that disclosed in my issued patent hereinbefore referred to and constitutes no part of the present invention.

To the other end of the casing 11, a pair of integrally connected cylinders 28 are securely bolted. A piston 29 reciprocates in each of these cylinders and each cylinder is provided at the end which is connected to the casing 11 with a sleeve 30 of relatively small diameter which extends into-the cylinder and also into the casing 11. In these cylindrical sleeves secondary pistons 31 are longitudinally movable and are. provided with suitable packing means to prevent the escape of fluid from said sleeves. Each primary piston 29 is connected to the associated secondary piston 31 by a rod 32. The cylinders 28 at their ends are integrally formed with or connected to the power transmission or driven shaft 33.

Each cylinder at its outer side is formed with a longitudinally extending by-pass 34 which communicates with the opposite ends of the cylinder. The wall of this by-pass is centrally formed with an outwardly projecting enlargement 35 which constitutes a housing for the movable governor weight 36. The governor weight is mounted upon spaced guide rods 37. The governor weight 36 is yieldingly urged inwardly by means of a coi spring 38 arranged upon the housing 35. In spaced relation to the governor weight 36, a fixed plate 39 extends between the wall of the cylinder and the housing wall 35 and is provided with a plurality of spaced transverse openings 40 therein. Valve plates 41 are slidably engaged upon the opposite sides of the plate 39 for movement over the openings 40, said plates being connected by pins 42 which are movable in slots 43 in the fixed plate. One of the sliding valve plates 41 is rigidly connected to the governor weight 36 by means of pins 44. This governor controlled valve which divides each by-pass 34, is practically identical in construction and operates in the manner of the corresponding part of my patented mechanism.

The shaft 8 extends some distance into theend of the casing 11 and in spaced relation to the bearing 12 the shaft is mounted in a fixed spider 45. To

said shaft a beveled gear 46 is fixed. The

the extremity of casing 11 is provided at diametrically 0pposite points in line with the spider 45 with openings which are closed by the plates 47 bolted to the casing wall. Each of these plates is formed with a central bearing 48, in which one end of a crank shaft 49 is journaled. The other end 50 of each crank shaft 49 is of tubular form and is rotatably engaged upon one of the arms of the spider 45. The end 50 of the crank shaft-projects angularly from a beveled gear 51 which is integrally formed with said shaft. These beveled gears mesh at diametrically opposite points with the gear 46 and it will therefore be understood, that in the rotation of the shaft 8 rotation will be transmitted to the crank shafts 49 in relatively opposite directions. A connecting rod 52 has one of its ends pivotally connected to one of the secondary pistons 31, the other end of said rod being suitably connected to the crank of one of the shafts 49. Thus it will be apparent that in the operation of the crank shafts the pistons 29 will be reciprocated in relatively opposite directions in the cylinders 28.

In the operation of the above described embodiment of the invention, a body of fluid, preferably oil is disposed in each of the cylinders 28 on opposite sides of the piston 29 therein and is movable from one side of the piston to the other through the by-pass 34. When the engine is operated,

rotation is of course transmitted from the shaft 8 through the medium of the gears 16 and 17 to the casin 11, and as this casing is rigidly fixed to t e cylinders 28, the latter also will be rotated. As the speed of the engine increases, the governor weights 36 move outwardly under centrifugal force against the action of the springs 38 and successively' close the rows of holes or openings in the plates 39. Thus the passage of the oil through the by-pass 34 from one side to the other of the piston is prevented. The axial movement of the pistons 29 through the operation of the gearing 46 and 51 is thus graduallyv retarded and finally stopped so that the shiftabl pistons are practically locked by the fluid body to rotate as a unit with the cylinder 28 and the casing 11 at the maximum speed of rotation of the shaft 8, it being understood of course that there is not further relative rotation of the ear 46 on this shaft and the gears 51. hen the engine labors under a heavy load, as when ascendingan incline, the centrifugal force gradually decreases and the governor members are moved inwardly by the springs 38, thus uncovering the holes or openings 40 so that the oil may again move through the by-pass from one end to the other of the cylinders 28 and permit of the reciprocatory movement of the casing 11, cylinders 28 and driven shaft 33 will now be rotated through the medium of pistons 29. The i herein referred to are the pistons 29 with relation to the driven shaft 8 and at relatively low speed, but utilizing the full driving power of the engine. This power-is of course transmitted through the driven shaft 8 and the gear 17 thereon which drives the pinions 16 interposed between said gear and the internal gear 15 on the flange 14. The pinions 16 being thus rotated relative to the part 13 which is fixed to the casing, it is manifest that the casing will now be driven at relativel low speed. This action continues until t e governor weights are at thelimit of theirv inward movement and there is a free flow of the body of fluid through the openings 40 which will ermit of a practicallyl unretarded longitu inal movement of t e pistons. The driven shaft will then be rotated at the lowest possible speed which is of course determined by the ratio of the gears 16 and 17. In this manner, it will be seen that the speed of rotation of the driven shaft is automatically increased or decreased in exact accordance with variations in the engine load, and that any number of speeds between high and low may thus be obtained. The automobile or other vehicle equipped with my improved speed changing mechanism may therefore be propelled at the highest possible speed under the instant conditions of grade and road surface and with a maximum of driving power which the engine is capable of developing.

The provision of the operating gearing between the driving shaft and the pistons, or a direct crank connection between the shaft and said pistons, I have found to be somewhat more reliable and effective than the cam connection disclosed in my prior patent, and to also relieve the several parts of the mechanism of considerable wear and strain. The several forms of my invention to be considered as merely illustrative, since it is apparent that various other arrangements of the piston cylinders and the operating connection between the pistons and the driving shaft might be resorted to. It is therefore to be understood that I reserve the privilege of adopting such further modifications and also of making various minor changes in the form, construction and arrangement of the several cooperative elements of which the invention may be clearly susceptible and which may fairly spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is Y 1. In a speed changin .mechanism, adriving shaft, a driven sha t,-and means operatively connecting the driving and driven shafts including a plurality of non-communicative cylinders, a reciprocating piston in each cylinder, a mobile medium retarding be considered. within the the reciprocatory movement of the pistons, automatically regulated means offering a va-- riable resistance to the movement of said medium, crank shafts operatively connected to the respective pistons and gearing connecting the crank shafts to the driving shaft.

2. Ina speed changin mechanism, adriving shaft,;a driven sha t, and means operatively connecting the driving and driven shaft including a plurality of non-communicative cylinders, a reciprocating piston in each cylinder, a mobile medium retarding the reciprocatory movement of the pistons, automatically regulated means offering a variable resistance to the movement of said medium, crank shafts operatively connected to the respective pistons and gearing connecting the crank shafts to the driving shaft, said driving shaft being interposed between the crank shafts and rotating said crank shafts in opposite directions to reciprocate said pistons in opposite directions.

8. In a speed changing mechanism, a driving shaft, a driven shaft, a plurality of noncommunicative cylinders fixed to-the driven shaft, a piston reciprocating in each cylinder, a mobile medium in said cylinders for retarding the movement of the pistons, means carried by the cylinders and automatically operated to offer variable resistance to the movement of said medium, and means operatively connecting the driving shaft to said pistons.

4. In a speed changing mechanism, a driving shaft, a driven shaft, and means operatively connecting the driving and driven shafts including a plurality of cylinders connected to-the driven shaft, a piston in each cylinder, a plate for closing the open ends of the cylinders, a sleeve carried by and extending through the plate, a secondary piston in each sleeve, said secondary piston being connected to the first mentioned piston, a mobile medium in said cylinders retarding the reciprocatory movement of the pistons therein, automatically regulating means offering a variable resistance to said medium, and means operatively connecting said driving shaft to said pistons.

5. In a speed changing mechanism, a driving shaft, a driven shaft, and means operatively connecting the driving and driven shafts including a casing operatively cow nected to the driving shaft, a spider in said casing, a portion of said shaft extending through the casing and the spider, a gear on the end of the shaft within the casing, crank shafts journaled in saidcasing in diametrical spaced relation, a gear carried by each crank shaft and forming one arm of each crank, said gears being journaled in the spider and meshing with the gear on the driving shaft, and movable means in said casing operatively connecting said crank shafts to the driven shaft.

C31, Lea ers 6. In a speed changing mechanism, adrivsaid passages offering a variable resistance 1 ing shaft, a driven shaft, and means operato said medium, a secondary piston in each tively connecting the driving and driven sleeve, said secondary piston being connectshafts including a cylinder casing open at ed to the adjacent main piston in axial alineone end and having its interior divided into ment therewith, crank shafts operatiyely cylinders, each of said cylinders having a connected to said secondary pistons, and 2 passage communicating with. both ends means operatively connecting said crank thereof, the open ends of the cylinders and shafts to the driving shafts.

. casing being closed by a plate including In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my sleeves, said sleeves projecting on both sides signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

of the plate, apiston in each cylinder, said WILLIAM I. \IVHEELER.

pistons reciprocating simultaneously in the Witnesses: opposite direction, a mobile medium in each BRUCE E. WHEELER, cylinder, automatically regulated means in J. H. WITHERBEE. 

